“No crowds. Closed. Shutdown since March. The small window where we were open was at 50% and it was not enough to make up for the three months we were closed and definitely not enough money to save more money to make payments for the second time we are in complete shutdown,” said Regina Timmermann-Levanas, owner of Old Traditions.
She along with Thomas Peinhopf, owner of Livehouse and The Shady Lady, have spearheaded the challenges on behalf of dozens just like them who are struggling to survive.
They displayed the barstools with messages on a sidewalk in Tumon as part of their protest.
“It’s just very sad. We are at a loss so we are trying again with the chairs to bring awareness to the issue. There are a lot of bars. That’s our livelihood. That’s how we make money and that’s how we employ our staff,” she said. “The message is that she is killing us with this continued lockdown of the bars. The governor, Public Health and whoever makes these decisions. We are not in conversations with them. They never talk to us and it feels like a very slow and painful death.”
The governor recently announced a $3 million commercial rent relief program in hopes to help businesses struggling during the pandemic.
However, Peinhopf said it still won’t help them to recover.
Signs and about 100 barstools were set up in front of Old Traditions, a Tumon bar, Monday afternoon in protest against the shutdown of bar businesses in the Covid-19 pandemic. Photo by Norman M. Taruc/The Guam Daily Post
“Some of us are about to receive a small rent relief which covers two months,” of rent, said Peinhopf. “It isn’t really a relief package. We are already in month 10 and we are about to receive two months of commercial rent. It’s minor. We are really hurting and I think many of us just can’t make it.”
He currently has a lawsuit in the District Court of Guam that challenges the lockdown and closures.
It names Gov. Lou Leon Guerrero and Director Arthur San Agustin of the Department of Public Health and Social Services.
Peinhopf said the case is scheduled to go before a judge on Dec. 8.
Meantime, the bar owners hope their message from the protest comes across loud and clear.
“Nobody cares about us so here we are. We are not going to go away and we need this settled,” he said.
“What’s the plan? Come up with a solution or talk to us or give us a chance to open,” said Timmermann-Levanas.
